Ask your questions Q&A

Radioactive cockpits (as mentioned in your CL-13B video). This is not something discussed and really should be, at the very least safety reasons for those who may collect aircraft instruments. They are safe if properly handled.

Joe Kudrna

P-61 is a 3 crew aircraft.

Joe Kudrna

The backward looking window in P-61 Black Window , what function did it have? And for backward, downward and awkward shooting positions in so much in the early WWII years, in all from Northrop N-3PB, Catalinas, Grumman Avengers, B-26s, He-111.... ...To what degree where they practical, and to what degree where they just a cumbersome part to build and maintain. (A NICE place to sit and scan the sea behind from an ocean patrol aircraft, with a thermos and hit coffee is offcoarse something else...)

Ole Bjørsvik

How has examining the aircraft in person and in such depth changed how you view them compared to just knowing the book and textual information that you already knew?

Nicholas Mew

Good question, I'll include it and try to reach out to those I know in Finland.

Military Aviation History

Sure, would be good if you could send a picture.

Military Aviation History

Uh, that's a big one. I'll add it

Military Aviation History

Good one, I've included it

Military Aviation History

Thank you, added it

Military Aviation History

Hah, I'll add it!

Military Aviation History

Added!

Military Aviation History

I should have expanded my question to include the present-day griffin. Every year we get to see 18 of them fly in a Christmas tree formation over the town of Ystad, lol. No joke. Just yesterday. From Flygflottiljen F17 based at Kallinge. 🎄 Lol

Francis McGarry

Bismark, I have another Draken related question. Are you aware of any comparisons between the Draken and the Mig-21 made by Finnish pilots? Given that the country employed both types, I would imagine that comparisons would be made with respect to the operational aspects and combat capabilities, such as intercepting performance and dogfighting (although I realise that the latter wasn't probably extensively tested, if at all, given the prevalent theories on air combat at the time).

Stanimir Stoev

and if you would like I can send you a picture of it...

Francis McGarry

front*

Francis McGarry

Segueing to early fighter jets, can you place the Saab Dragon and it’s role in context to the NATO mission? I am an American living on southern Sweden. There is an automobile museum very near my house, but parked out from is an early delta winged Dragon, with a cockpit which looks so small only a very petite pilot could be shoe-horned into it, lol. Please consider talking about this series of jets and what role they play. Thank you. PS: I’m lovin’ the 262 videos! Fantastic!

Francis McGarry

Q&A Luftwaffe fighter training during WW2: inadequate in size or because lack of fuel?

Have you ever thought about covering the airships of WW1 and WW2? They were used in a surprising variety of roles from strategic bombing in WW1 to convoy escort in WW2. I found an English translation of "Zepplins over England" by von Buttlar that was pretty fascinating.

Michael Moran

Q&A availability of German high octane avio gasoline (i found a post war report by USN inspectors being positive about it, but many sources usually say that Germany only had 87 octane)? MW50 and GM-1: effective and efficient or just a cumbersome way to overcome the lack of high octane fuel? How much did they hinder the plane because of extra weight/vulnerability? Why were turbochargers used only by the US? Thank you! Federico

F9 Panther- beautiful plane, especially with dark paint. I love the way the tail hangs off past the jet exhaust. gorgeous. ( as you can see, my views about aircraft are somewhat superficial. for example, i love how- on the Phantom- the horizontal stabilizer hangs down... makes it menacing. ( If you see a question in here, i don’t. )

A daft one for the end of the year: Would you rather fight 100 duck sized Me 262s or 1 Me 262 sized duck? And what would you use to fight them or it with? 😜

Dave Saunders

Q&A — In WW1 you read about German advances leading to big losses for the allies such as Bloody April or the Fokker Scourge. The Allies always seem to be responding either with aircraft of similar capabilities (Nieuport 11) or pure numbers. Is this leap of technology on the German end mirrored on the allied side but not talked about?

Brad